


The Legend of the Rent

by FlavorofKylo



Category: School of Rock (2003), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: All apologies to Jack Black and Co, Alternate Universe - Middle School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Sexual Situations, Ben Solo is a Mess, Ben is a substitute teacher, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hux and Finn are a couple, M/M, No beta we die like Amazons, Not saying who, Office Sex, Oral Sex, Rey is a little uptight, Rock and Roll, Sexual Tension, Slow-ish burn, Soft Ben Solo, Someone definitely needs a spanking here, Spanking, Vaginal Fingering, but he might want to be a sub for Rey too hehe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:13:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27046282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlavorofKylo/pseuds/FlavorofKylo
Summary: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy/School of Rock crossover fic.Life has definitely been better for Ben Solo.  He's  just been kicked out of his own band, the Bodacious B.  Already behind on the rent, he's confronted by his roommates, Finn and Hux, about getting his life together.  He would have thought Finn, his former band mate, would understand, but nothing is the same anymore, ever since Hux came into the picture.Ever the opportunist, Ben seizes a chance to work as a substitute teacher when a call comes in for Finn offering him the job, and Ben takes it-even though he has NO training whatsoever as a teacher.  What could go wrong?On his first day,  he meets the young, cute but uptight interim school principal, Rey Mullens.  Ben thinks she'd be just adorable, if only she would  pull the stick out of her butt.**ON HIATUS**
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 25
Kudos: 77





	1. First Day

**Author's Note:**

> I have no rights over Star Wars, The School of Rock, or (sadly) Adam Driver. 
> 
> This work is intended for entertainment purposes only. There will be song lyrics and some lines taken directly from the School of Rock film. 
> 
> "In his heart he knew  
> That the artist must be true  
> But the legend of the rent was way past due."
> 
> *

Before he even opened his eyes, Ben could tell it was going to be a _crapass_ day. He woke to a crushing headache and a wave of nausea, a result of too many beers and that late night shot of Jaeger. He groaned and turned over.

“Ben…” Hux called from the doorway. " _Ben."_

_“Grmmmph.”_

“BEN!”

He rolled over in frustration and glared at his roommate. The tall, lanky ginger's face was like a stormcloud.

 _“What?_ ” he snarled.

“It’s the seventh. The rent was due a week ago.”

 _“Seriously?_ You’re waking me up for that? I’ve already got a killer headache, you’re just making it worse.”

“When are you going to have the money, Solo?”

“I don’t know. By law, I have until the tenth.”

“You’re already a month behind,” Hux complained.

“Look, Finn’s gonna float me. Talk to him.”

Hux raised his eyebrows in amusement. “What makes you think we haven’t already discussed it?”

“Just—can we talk about this later, please?” Ben grumbled, pulling the covers over his head. “I feel like shit warmed over.”

“It's your own fault," Hux mumbled. "Finn, darling, can you come here please?"

A moment later he heard Finn’s voice as he and Hux discussed the situation in hushed tones.

_Already said….can’t do it….no more…_

“Hey, listen Ben.” Finn’s voice was soft and patient in contrast to Hux’s grating tone.

Ben pulled the covers down and looked at his friend. “Yeah?”

“I can’t cover you this time. It’s getting to be too much. You need to find a job.”

Ben groaned. “Doing what?”

“I don’t care if you drive a taxi, walk dogs or wait on tables…..but _something.”_

Ben sighed. The ginger looked at him with a smug _I told you so_ look.

“Okay, okay. I’ll look today.”

“I hear Domino’s is hiring,” Hux sniped.

“Maybe you can sell one of your guitars in the meantime,” Finn offered softly.

Ben huffed. “Oh, dude. You have got to be kidding me.”

Finn looked at Hux. “Go eat your breakfast. I got this.”

Ben shook his head sadly. “Finn, ever since you got together with him, you’re so different. Everything is different.”

Finn shrugged. “That’ll happen, man. People change. Yeah, being in a band was great, but I guess I outgrew it. I needed something different.”

“But why Hux, man? He’s such a douchebag.”

Finn squared his jaw. “That’s my _man_ you’re talking about, Ben. Chill.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

“I found something I love to do and I can actually make money doing it. I love teaching, Ben. Maybe you should think about going back to school.”

Ben snorted. “Like hell.”

“Well, suit yourself. But find a job.” He turned and left, closing the door behind him.

Ben let his head fall back on the pillow and let out another long groan of frustration. If being kicked out of his band wasn’t bad enough, now he might be kicked out of his own apartment.

He still couldn’t believe that Poe had given him his walking papers yesterday. Bodacious B was his band. He’d started it, brought all the guys together, wrote most of the material. It made no sense that he would be kicked out, despite Poe’s insistence that his vision no longer fit with the rest of them.

  
Ironic. _Majorly fucked up._ But there was nothing he do about it except start over.

Ben was in the kitchen getting himself a big bowl of cereal when the phone rang. He wouldn’t pickup, of course. Wouldn’t be for him, anyway. Hardly ever was.

After the third ring, the answering machine clicked on.

“Good morning, I’m calling from Horace Black prep. We have an emergency need for a substitute. I’m looking for a Mister Finn Spencer-Reynolds, if he’s avail—”

Ben snatched up the phone. “Yes, hello?”

“Good morning,” a young voice chirped. “Is this Mister Spencer-Reynolds?”

“Uh, uh….yeah. What can I do you for?”

“Are you available to sub, starting today?”

“Err, I might be. How long is the gig?”

Kaydel laughed softly on the other end. “The ‘gig’? We’re not exactly sure. It might be several weeks.”

Ben’s eyebrows shot up. “And what’s the salary?”

“It’s standard. Six forty per week,” she said. “Can you help us out?”

Ben did some quick math in his head. Six hundred forty a week…he’d be able to catch up with the rent in no time, even if he only had the job for a short time.

“I’ll do it.”

“Wonderful. The school is at the intersection of 116th and Broadway. Please get here as soon as you can, and come straight to the office.”

“Who do I ask for?”

“Well you can speak with Ms. Mullens. I’m Kaydel.”

He grinned. “I’ll be there as fast as I can, Kaydel.”

_Thirty minutes later…_

Ben strolled into the school building, feeling a bit out of sorts in his charcoal jacket. Well, at least it was clean, and in decent shape. He hoped they’d be okay with the jeans and sneakers; he didn’t own any dress shoes, and he sure as shit couldn’t afford to buy new clothes at the moment.

He wandered the first floor for a couple of minutes until he found the door marked OFFICE.

++

Rey Mullens had just become the acting school principal at Horace Black within the past two weeks, after the sudden and unexpected death of Principal Snoke. There had been talk of foul play, but that had yet to be confirmed. But it wouldn't have surprised her. She knew there were many people who would have wished him dead, faculty and students alike.

At only twenty-six, she struggled on a daily basis with the need to assert her authority. It was hard enough when she was designated Assistant Principal a mere two years earlier but stepping into the role of Principal brought with it a whole new level of stress. Rey had always been a hard worker, and she fought extra hard to maintain her composure and dignity as the youngest principal the school ever had. Even if she only kept the position for a month while they interviewed for someone with more experience, she would do her damnedest to prove herself.

That is, if she didn’t have a heart attack in the meantime.

This morning, one of their best teachers, Mrs. Amilyn Holdo, had fallen and broken her leg, so there had been a mad scramble to get someone to cover her class at the last minute. Fortunately, Kaydel had been efficient enough to find the number of a sub they had on call, a Finn Spencer-Reynolds, who had been highly recommended.

Rey and Kaydel were having a conversation by the computer. Kaydel was complaining that there were issues with the software and that they needed to call in an IT specialist. Rey’s attention was pulled away when she heard a deep voice behind her say _excuse me,_ and she turned. On the opposite side of the desk was a very tall, dark haired man in a corduroy suit jacket that barely seemed to contain his broad shoulders and chest. Her breath hitched as she looked into his eyes—they were a dark, smoky amber, the color of brandy. He had full, soft-looking lips, and she found herself wanting to gnaw on the lower one. She pushed the thought out of her mind as quickly as it had come. 

She stood staring for a moment, caught off guard, and he broke into a slow grin.

“Good morning, I’m here for the sub position?” he said.

++

Ben's eyes were locked on the young woman behind the desk, in her prim little pencil skirt, striped blouse and heels. She had pretty hazel eyes, and the sweetest smattering of freckles across her nose. He 'd always had a weakness for freckles. 

He was so distracted by Rey that he barely noticed the other young lady beside her, who spoke up right away.

“Mr. Spencer-Reynolds? Hi, I’m Kaydel,” she said. “This is Principal Mullens."

Ben raised his eyebrows. _This_ was Principal Mullens? He would have guessed her to be in her mid-to-late twenties. Did they _make_ principals that young?

He held out a huge paw. “Call me Ben,” he said warmly.

Both Kaydel and Rey both looked confused.

“Ben?” asked Kaydel.

“Oh....that’s my, uh…my middle name. It’s what my friends call me. No one really calls me Finn,” he said with a shrug.

_Nice save, Solo._

Rey cocked an eyebrow at him. “It’s nice to meet you, Ben,” she said briskly. “You can fill out the paperwork late on. Let me get you to class. The kids are waiting.”

He nodded. “Of course.”

Rey moved with the rapid grace of a bird, and he felt clumsy and oafish striding beside her as her heels clacked down the hall.

“Mrs. Holdo broke her leg this morning, so we expect her to be out for several weeks. So if this works out, you could be with us for awhile.”

Ben nodded. “Hey, you mind if I ask you something personal?”

Rey glanced up at him with a little scowl. “I won’t really know until you ask, will I?" she shot back.

Ben’s mouth quirked up a bit. _Fiesty,_ he thought. And just a little uptight. 

“Aren’t you a little _young_ to be a school principal?”

Rey’s jaw tightened. This was exactly the kind of question she’d been getting from day one. She was used to being underestimated by teachers and staff alike. She certainly wasn't going to take it from some lowly substitute, even if he was older than her.

"Actually, I'm the acting principal. I was in the assistant role until Principal Snoke passed suddenly and I stepped in."

"Hmm. I see. Hey, sorry," he huffed. "Didn't mean to ruffle your feathers."

He noticed she'd stopped in front of a door. 

"We're here. I'll introduce you," she said primly. Just before she could push the door open, he reached out and placed a hand on her arm. 

“Wait,” he said. 

Her eyes snapped to him.

“Do you like rock and roll?”

  
Rey narrowed her eyes.

  
“Excuse me?”

“Oh…nevermind.” He removed his hand. “Sorry, I—sorry.”

  
Rey’s eyes shifted away from him, her face softening somewhat as they stood in front of the class.

  
“Good morning, children.”

  
“Good morning, Ms. Mullens,” the class chimed.

  
“This is Mr. Spencer-Reynolds, he’s going to be your substitute for the day and….possibly longer," she said with a dubious glance back at Ben. "We'll see." 

  
He stood in front of the class and gave an awkward little wave. “What’s up,” he greeted.

  
Rey frowned slightly. “Why don’t you write your name on the board so they can get use to it?”

  
Ben padded over to the black board like a puppy with big paws and picked up the chalk, immediately regretting it.

“You know what, just call me Mr. S. It’s much easier.”

Rey seemed pleased with his decision. 

  
“Okay then, if there’s anything you need, my office is at the other end of the hall.”

  
“Sounds good,” he said, smiling politely until Rey had left the room, closing the door behind her.

  
“Hey y’all, listen up. I’ve got a killer headache, so today, we’re gonna take it nice and easy. I don’t care if you want to read, draw, talk or play cards, as long as you keep it down. We’ll start with all this….stuff, _manana._ Okay? You got me?”

  
He looked around the room at the sea of faces, staring blankly at him.

  
A girl with long, dark hair in the front row raised her hand.

“Yes?”

  
"Mr. S, Summer here," she said brightly. "As the class factotum, I just want to welcome you to Horace Black, on behalf our entire class.”

  
Ben nodded. “Thank you.” He worried his lower lip between his teeth. “What time is lunch?”

  
“We just _had_ lunch,” Freddy supplied 

  
“Oh,” Ben said, deflating. Shit. “Does uh, anyone have any snacks or anything?”

  
They looked at each other. 

  
“You’re not gonna _get in trouble_ , I promise. I’m starved.”

  
A hand went up in the back and he traipsed up the row to face Tameka, a soft-spoken, round-faced girl. 

  
“Whatcha got? I’ll take anything at this point,” he huffed. 

  
She held out a small bag of Goldfish crackers and half of a ham and cheese sandwich.

“If you share this with me, you'd be doing a great service for your fellow man," he offered. 

Tameka shrugged wordlessly, and gave him a small nod. 

"Thank you," he whispered, giving her a quick wink.

  
Ben returned to his desk, goodies in hand. Row upon row of curious eyes fell upon him. 

He waved them away. "Go on about your business, y'all. Nothing to see here."

  
“But Mr. S, we have the whole afternoon,” Summer persisted.

  
“Listen, it’s not too often you’ll get a free day to sit around and do nothing. You should take advantage.” He paused, throwing a handful of goldfish into his mouth and chewing. 

“Hey,” Ben tossed out a few moments later. “Does anybody know Ms. Mullen’s _situation_? I mean, is she married? Does she have a boyfriend?”

There were some snickers around the room.

  
“You,” he said, pointing to the blonde girl with pigtails in row three.

“She’s not married,” she said. “But she might have a boyfriend.”

  
Billy piped up. “No, she broke up with him. I think she’s single now.”

  
Ben raised his eyebrows. “Aha," he muttered. “Good to know.”

  
Some of the students exchanged glances. 

Asking your brand new boss out is advisedly not a good idea.

But then, neither is accepting a job offer for which you have _no_ qualifications--and under an _alias_ as well, but that hadn't stopped him. 

  
Ben spent the next few hours browsing the web on Mrs. Holdo's pc. He looked Rey Mullens up on Google, and confirmed that she was indeed single. He smiled to himself.

  
 _Gotta be a way to loosen her up a little,_ he thought, his cock already stirring at the thought. He was pretty sure he could think of a way. 

Ben managed to get through til the end of class, leaping up before the students when the 2:30 bell rang. 

"I'll catch you guys on the flip flop," he hooted. 

He zoomed out of class ahead of most of them and almost sprinted down the hall to Ms. Mullen's office.

She was sitting quietly at her desk when he arrived and looked surprised to see him.   
  


"Mr. S," she said.

"Ben."  
  


"RIght, Ben. How was your first day?"  
  


He grinned. "Not bad. I'd say it went pretty gosh darn well."

Rey cocked an eyebrow and gave him a curious glance. _What the fuck was this guy on about?_  
  


He stood watching her with a sweet, goofy grin that somehow managed to resonate right through her body.

"So, you never answered my question. Do you like rock and roll?" he pressed.

"Rock and roll?" she repeated dumbly, like she'd never heard of it before.

Ben raised his eyebrows, a quirky little smile on his lips.

  
"Yes," she sighed. "I do. I like the Stones, and..." she cleared her throat, embarrassed by her shameful admission. "The Pretenders. Why do you ask?"

Ben shrugged, an innocent look on his face. "Oh, just curious. Sometimes I play with my band. I have a band, well... _.had_ a band, but..." he trailed off, laughing softly. "Yeah, just curious."

Rey's gaze darkened, her lips tightening. "I assume you're not, uh....trying to...ask me out on a _date,_ or anything like that, right? Because that would be....." she trailed off.

"That would be...?" he prompted.

It took her a moment to find her voice. When she did speak, it was softer, warmer. 

"Inappropriate," she finished.

Ben quirked a smile. "Hmm. Yeah, I can see that. Though I'm generally not a big fan of doing things just because they're _appropriate_." He let that sink in for all of two seconds, noting the look of shock on her face. 

"Okay, Ms. Mullens, you have a good night."

With that, he was gone, moving quickly down the hall to the stairs.

"Mr. S--um, Ben?" She called and he turned.

"Call me Rey." 

Ben shot her a grin before turning to descend the stairs. 

[Watch the video here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd72I33RGV4)


	2. Sticking it to The Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben scrambles to figure out a way to put a band together for the upcoming Battle of the Bands. Meanwhile, Rey struggles to hide her attraction to him.

After Ben’s departure, Rey sat at her desk for a bit just pondering him. Something wasn’t sitting right. He wasn’t like any of the substitutes she had met before, who were usually very professional and often times nervous—especially around her. There was an irreverence to him, a playful I-don’t-give-a-fuck quality that she found a little irksome. He was _irksome._ She tried not to think about the fact that he was practically a wall of a man, with his soulful brown eyes and a honey-sweet smile. And those big hands, yikes. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to tell him off, kiss his forehead or climb him like a tree.

But she wouldn’t let herself think about that. This was her job, and she wasn’t going to lose it or be unprofessional. So regardless of how her body might respond to _Mr._ _Finn Ben Spencer-Reynolds_ , it wasn’t going to compromise her ethics. Or her career. No _sir._

When she went back down to the office to speak with Kaydel, there he was. He had his back to her as he stood at the front desk, filling out the usual paperwork.

“Be sure to bring your ID tomorrow so we can finish processing you and set you up for payroll,” Kaydel was saying.

“I really need to get my direct deposit set up in a different name,” he explained. “For tax reasons.”

“Oh, I see,” Kaydel said. She eyed Rey, who was looming in the doorway. “Principal Mullens, is that okay?”

Ben turned to meet her eyes, and she was caught off guard by the warm depths of them... the color of dark honey. He looked vaguely amused. _Professional. Keep it professional._

“What was that?” her expression was nonchalant and she avoided Ben’s eyes.

“Ben wants to set his account up in a different name.”

Rey shrugged. “That shouldn’t be a problem, just bring in all the bank information and your ID.”

Ben nodded slowly. “Right,” he said. He glanced back at Kaydel. “I’ll take this home with me and bring it back tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure,” Kaydel smiled; she was practically batting her eyelashes. Rey recognized the little flush on her cheeks, and damnit if Kaydel wasn't charmed by him, too.

“Have a nice evening, ladies,” he murmured in his sonorous baritone, throwing a little wink at Rey on his way out.

Before she could react, he was gone. She turned back to her secretary.

“He’s positively dreamy, isn’t he?” Kaydel sighed.

Rey crooked a brow at her. “I hadn’t noticed."

++

On the drive home, Ben agonized. He had shit to take care of. He’d have to figure out a way to get a copy of Finn’s ID, although that probably wouldn’t be as hard as it sounded. He could just slip it out of his wallet when he wasn’t looking, and make a copy on their home printer. Hopefully, they’d accept a copy. And the account under Kylo Ren, well that would take care of itself. Good thing he already had an account set up for his stage name.

What really concerned him was how he’d manage to get it together before the Battle of the Bands, which was coming up in three weeks. He wanted to punch something, someone, when he thought about Poe’s downright cruel decision to remove him from the band only weeks away from the event. How fucked up, they had been friends for years, and now this? The _injustice._ Poe spewing some bullshit about how they needed to change their image, appeal to a more _mainstream_ crowd. _Fucking sellout._

Ben was gripping the steering wheel so tightly and driving so frenetically he nearly collided with a car that entered his lane without it's blinker. 

“Learn to drive, _dickwad,"_ he yelled out the window.

He really needed to let loose some of his aggravation. It wasn’t healthy.

He’d talk to Finn tonight, see if he would be willing to do just one show for the big battle. It would be a great thing all around, if they could actually win; thirty thousand bucks split between the two of them and a smaller share doled out to whoever else they could wrangle.

++

Later that evening, he sauntered out to the dining room where Finn and Hux were having a quiet dinner and discussing the possibility of leasing a new car.

“Oh, look who it is,” Hux sneered. “The moocher.”

Finn met Ben’s eyes expectantly. “How did the job hunt go?”

Ben nodded. “Actually, it went very well. I found something. And I’ll have at least part of the rent by the end of the week,” he said pointedly, eyes fixed on the ginger.

Hux snorted. “A job, doing _what?”_ His face contorted in derision. it was clear that Hux wanted nothing more than for Ben to lose.

Finn gave Hux a warning look. “I don’t want to deal with you two bickering tonight. If he found something, we should be supportive. It’s not easy finding a job, and he did manage it quickly.” His eyes shifted to Ben’s. “What kind of job?”

Ben shrugged. “I’m a temp. Just like you.”

Finn rolled his eyes. “I’m not a temp, I’m a substitute teacher, Ben. And soon I’ll have my license, so sod off.”

Ben sighed. He fully respected Finn’s accomplishments and was happy that he was happy. But he still needed him to do this one last thing.

“That’s a beautiful thing, and I get it, man. But wouldn’t you love one last chance to play bass again in front of a live audience? If you join me, then we’d only need a drummer and another guitarist. Couldn’t you use the money, hmm? Thirty thousand smackeroos."

For a moment, Finn looked like he was actually considering Ben’s offer, but then his face shifted again and he shook his head.

“Nah, it’s okay. I’m not that guy anymore. But I’ll help you put the band together if that’s in any way possible.”

Ben smiled. He and Finn had been roommates in college and friends ever since.

“Why don’t you call Mitaka? He might be willing to help.”

‘Good idea,” Ben nodded. “I’ll do that.” He extended a hand to Finn and they went through an elaborate soul-shake. Hux looked on in disgust.

But by the end of the evening, after calling Mitaka and a couple of other musicians he knew, no one was available to do it. Ben was back where he started. How was he possibly going to get a band together that fast? He was fucked.

He went to bed frustrated and annoyed, and Rey drifted back into his mind. He kept picturing her cute little freckles, long legs moving under that tight pencil skirt, and suddenly he was hard. Such a feisty little bitch. He jerked off thinking about bending her over the desk in her office, with students just down the hall. God, he'd like to hear her moan his name while she came undone beneath him. 

____________________________________________________

When Ben arrived to class the second day, he was in a foul mood—one almost as bad as that of the day prior. He couldn’t stop thinking about the unfairness, the _injustice_ of being removed from the band he created. And the timing couldn't have been worse.

He sat at the desk, chin in hands, in a major sulk. The kids looked around the room, waiting for something to happen.

“Mr. S, we can’t sit here all day doing nothing,” Summer said. “We’re here to learn.”

_Out of the mouths of babes._

Ben’s eyes drifted to hers lazily. “Oh, really?”

“Yes,” she said. “I think I speak for the entire class when I say that.”

Ben huffed. “Really? You want to learn something?”

“Yes, I do,” Summer enthused.

He got his feet suddenly. “You really want to _learn something?”_

Summer looked around the room and nodded encouragingly. Everyone else was silent.

Ben took a deep breath. “Well, listen up, because here’s the lesson: give up. Just quit. Because _in this life,_ no matter what you want to do, you can’t win because the world is run by _The_ _Man.”_

Frankie perked up. “The Man?”

Ben let out a deep, bitter laugh. “’Yeah. Oh, you don’t know _The Man?_ He’s everywhere. In the White House, down the hall….Ms. Mullens, _she’s_ The Man! He’s all the people that say you can’t do what you want to do, the _fun spoilers,_ the _freedom stealers_.” He was pacing the room now, frustration bubbling up.

“And there used to be a way to _stick it_ to the man, it was called rock and roll. But guess what? _Oh, no_ —the Man had to come along and ruin that too, with a little thing called _mTV_! So don’t waste your time trying to make anything cool, or pure or awesome, because the man is just going to crap on it and call you a big, washed up loser. So do yourselves a favor and just _give up!!”_

As Ben was concluding his tirade, Rey entered the room and stood just behind him, frowning. The kids shifted uncomfortably and he turned.

“Mr. S," she said, with strained patience. "It's after ten a.m., time for the children’s music class.”

“Ohh. Right, of course.” He exhaled, all his puffed up anger slowly leaking from him. She had really caught him off guard. “Kids, when you get back from music, we’ll resume our lesson on the Man.”

As the children lined up, Rey flashed a disapproving glance at Ben. He looked away.

_Fuck._

When he looked up again, they were gone.

He cursed under his breath. Nothing he could do now. Well, at least he had forty minutes to figure out what the hell he was going to do when the kids returned.

A short time later, Ben was in the restroom and heard strains of music drifting out from the floor above. Curious, he trudged up the stairs until he was outside the door where it was coming from. He peered through the glass of the music studio door, and what he saw blew his mind.

There they were, playing piano…..guitar….percussion…cello. And they sounded.....fucking _awesome._

The band.

 _His_ band.

Ben almost let out a whoop before running back down the stairs to the classroom. He’d have to move quickly and carefully if he was going to get all the instruments back to the room without—

“Ben.”

He turned. _Shit._

“Uh, hi Rey.”

She was scowling up at him. Did she _ever_ smile?

“What was all that about? ‘The Man?’”

“Oh,” he chuckled. “I was just talking about authority. You know, little history lesson. Counterculture, the sixties.”

“Mm, I see,” she said doubtfully. “Well, that’s very interesting, but I’d appreciate it if you would just stick to the curriculum. Mrs. Holdo has lesson plans in her desk, or didn’t you see them?”

He shrugged. “Oh well, I thought it was relevant….” He stared at her, and his eyes went to her lips. They looked so soft, so pink, he wondered how they would look—

“How is it relevant?”

“I’m sorry, I—”

Rey rolled her eyes. “Please, Ben. Get with the program.”

Ben raked a big hand roughly through his hair. “Do you ever ahh, loosen up?”

She frowned. “Loosen up?”

“Yeah,” he pressed, lips quirking up at the corner. “You know, have _fun?”_

She shook her head. “Well, I really don’t see—”

He took a step closer and smirked. “I’ll bet you could use some fun in your life. You’re all pent up, aren’t you?”

Rey reared her head back in shock.

_“Excuse me?”_

“It’s not good for your health, you know. Walking around stressed out all the time.” He licked his lips. “I could help you relax.”

“Just what are you insinuating?”

His laugh was low and throaty. “Oh, I think you know.”

A low rumble came from Rey’s throat. “Ben…you _do realize_ that this is not appropriate behavior. I could contact the school board and report you.”

“You probably could. But I don’t think you will.” His pupils were blown, darkening his honey-brown eyes. 

Rey huffed. “I have to go meet with some parents right now. Just….” She shook her head. "Ben, just follow the curriculum, that’s all I ask. And behave yourself.”

That big, goofy smirk of his returned and she felt her stomach flip over. Why did he have to be so goddamn _sexy?_

“I’ll try,” he said. “But I’ve never been very good at behaving."

Flustered, Rey turned and trotted out of the room, her dignity in shreds.


	3. She's So Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben discovers he's got a band right under his nose.
> 
> He also decides it's a lot of fun to push Principal Mullen's buttons. 😏
> 
> Please note: There is a big chunk of dialogue taken directly from the movie, where Ben is explaining to the kids about why they are forming a band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "She's so cold, she's so cooold  
> I think she was born in the arctic zone  
> She's so cold, she's so co-co-co-co-cold,  
> When I touched her my hands just froze
> 
> She's so cold, she's so goddamned cold  
> She's so cold, cold, cold she's so COOOOOOOOLD"
> 
> (Can't imagine WHY he picked THIS song. 😁)

The instant the click-clack of Rey’s heels had faded, Ben was down the stairs and out of the building like a shot. He’d have to make several trips in order to get all the equipment back to the room, but there was nothing to be done for it. He grabbed two of the guitars, one in each hand, and dashed back to the room. On the second trip, he grabbed the bass, and a couple books of sheet music. The third trip he snagged the pieces of the small drum kit.

By the time he’d gotten everything back to the room, he stood catching his breath and glanced at the clock; he had about twenty minutes to set everything up.

When the class returned at 10:45, Ben greeted them with a smirk, his prized Gibson strapped across his chest.

“Mr. S, what’s all this?” Marta asked.

“I happened to hear you guys practicing in music class. You guys can really play! Why didn’t anyone _tell me??_ You,” he pointed to Zack.

“Yes?”

“Come here, dude.” Zack strolled over to him and Ben held out the other guitar. “Try this on. Have you ever played electric guitar?”

“No, my dad won’t let me. He thinks it’s a waste of time.”

Ben’s mouth dropped open in shock. “A waste of….?” He shook his head and handed Zack a guitar pick. “Pluck along with me, if you can.”

He led him through riffs for “Smoke on the Water,” “Back in Black,” and “Substitute” by The Who. Zack kept up perfectly. When they were done, Ben ruffled his hair proudly.

“You’re my lead guitarist,” he grinned. “Stay right there. Who’s next?”

In almost no time, he’d set Lawrence up on keyboards, Katie on bass and Freddie on drums.

“Okay, people listen up because I don’t want to have to _fail you,_ " he warned.

“I thought you didn’t believe in grades,” Summer piped up.

“Of course, I believe in grades. I was testing you, and you passed with flying colors. Nice work, Summer.”

She perked up in her seat and smiled beatifically.

“I’m very impressed with all of you,” he started. “Most kids would have totally taken advantage of this situation and been happy to slack off, but you guys didn’t. You’re special. And because you’re all so awesome, I think it’s time we started on our new class project.”

“What kind of project?” Lawrence asked.

“It’s called….Rock Band,” Ben said, gesturing with a flourish. “We only have three weeks before the Battle of the Bands,” he announced. “So until then, we’ll be practicing and I’ll give you a crash course on the history of rock music. Any questions?”

"What about math?" Justin asked.

"Nope, not important," Ben shot back without missing a beat. 

Marta's hand went up. “Battle of the Bands? Is there a a prize of some kind?” 

“Of course there is. It's a competition, right?”

“What’s the prize?” Billy wanted to know.

“Oh, it’ll go on your permanent record, _hello Harvard, yo?”_

There were satisfied sounds and faces all around him. “I wasn’t sure you guys would be able to do it, but I have faith in you. We’re going to go for it. But let’s keep this on the down low, shall we?”

“Can we tell our parents?” Katie chirped.

 _“NOOOOO!_ Trust me, they don’t want to know anything about this,” Ben insisted.

_Meanwhile, in the teachers lounge…_

The meeting had just wrapped, and Rey and Rose sat down at the table with their coffees.

“How’s the new sub doing? I saw him in the hall yesterday, he is _hot-hotty-hot,”_ Rose grinned.

Rey took a deep breath. _Of course, Rose would think so_. She steeled herself.

“I don’t know,” she said coolly. “He may not last.”

“Really? Is he having trouble controlling the class, or something?”

“No, I don’t think so. But he’s… kind of insubordinate.”

Rose looked shocked. She leaned forward. “Oh, my god! What did he say?”

Rey hesitated, biting her lip. “He said that I seem pent-up. That he wanted to… help me _relax."_

Rose’s eyes got huge and a huff of laughter rose up from her throat.

“What? _Really?”_ she barked.

“He has no idea what it’s like to….” she trailed off, staring into the middle distance. “I’m not sure how to handle it.”

“Well, it sounds to me like he’s just flirting…..” Rose shrugged.

Rey frowned and her eyes returned to Rose. “He’s flirting with his _boss_ _,”_ she snapped. “It’s inappropriate.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Rose mused.

Rey shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like him before. He just…..doesn’t seem to let anything bother him.”

Rose chuckled. “I see what you mean. But to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind if he offered to _relax me.”_

Rey shook her head, but there was the tiniest wisp of a smile on her face.

_Back in the classroom…_

Lawrence had taken a seat for this one, but Zach, Katie and Freddie were preparing to launch into a raw version of The Rolling Stones’ “She’s So Cold.” Ben had let them listen to a little of the song on his phone, and since Zach had a great ear he knew he would pick it up quickly.

  
“Okay, guys? Zach, you ready? G, C, F…B minor, D. Here we go…”

Ben started with the opening guitar licks, along with Katie on bass.

“Now, Freddie, you come in….”

The drums started, a bit sloppy but good enough for a first run-through. Then Ben started to sing.

_“I’m so hot for her, I’m so hot for her_  
 _I’m so hot for her and she’s so cold_  
 _I’m so hot for her, I’m on fire for her_  
 _I’m so hot for her and she’s so cold_  
 _I’m the burning bush, I’m the burning fire,_  
 _I’m the bleeding volcano,_

 _I’m so hot for her, I’m so hot for her_  
 _I’m so hot for her and she’s so cold..”_  
  
Ben glanced around at his makeshift band and grinned at them all. He swayed and danced around like Mick Jagger between verses.

_She’s so cold, she’s so cold,_   
_She’s so cold, cold, cold like a tombstone,_   
_She’s so cold, she’s so cold,_   
_She’s so cold, cold, cold like an ice cream cone,_   
_She’s so cold, she’s so cold…_   
_When I touched her, my hands just froze…”_

They only did the first two choruses, but it gave them a chance to hear how they sounded together. Ben gave them all high-fives and encouraged them to give a little bow to the class. 

“ _Now,_ we’re rocking!" he enthused.

“But Mr. S, what are the rest of us supposed to do?” Frankie blurted.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” he assured them. “We need back-up singers, roadies, security—the works. As soon as we get back from lunch, we’ll figure out killer positions for all of you!”

_A short time later, in the cafeteria..._

At lunch, Ben grabbed a sandwich and a container of chocolate milk before looking around, trying to decide where to sit. Rey and Rose spotted him and Rose elbowed her.

“Hey…Rey, introduce me,” she whispered.   
  
Rey rolled her eyes but signaled to him. As soon as he spied her, he smiled and walked towards them.

  
“Hello, Ben,” she said politely. “Thought you might want to meet some of our other teachers. This is Rose.”   
  
“Hi,” Rose beamed.

Ben tilted his head in a mock bow. “Hi Rose, pleasure."

Rose nearly melted on the spot. She glanced over at Rey. 

“Come on, Ben, come sit with us,” Rose squeaked.  
  
“Love to.”

“I’ve got to get back to my office," Rey protested. "I have a few calls to make.”

Ben’s gaze drifted over her, drinking her in. “Aww, can’t you sit with us for just a few minutes?”

As his dark, liquid eyes bore into her, she felt heat bloom in her lower belly. Clearly, her traitorous body hadn’t received the memo she’d been trying to send. 

“Fine,” she sighed. Of course, the nearest available seat was right beside Ben. Rey sank into the chair, trying her best to avoid touching any part of his body with any part of hers. 

“This is Angela, Mike and Bob. Ben is here to cover Amilyn's class for the next few weeks, or...maybe longer," she said, and cleared her throat.   
  
Ben nodded and smiled. “Great to meet you guys. They're amazing kids, so well-behaved."

Rose piped up, “Amilyn is pretty strict. She keeps them all on their toes.” 

Ben raised his eyebrows. “I can imagine. It’s impressive, I haven’t had to send anyone down for detention yet. Wasn’t like that when I was in class and we had a substitute in charge,” he chuckled. 

Rey was suddenly aware that his knee was touching hers. She pulled away suddenly as if she’d been touched by a hot poker. 

Rose smiled. “Yeah, I remember those days. Our classes would be in shambles anytime we had a sub. We would all just refuse to work. It was pretty much time to _partay!!"_ she giggled.   
  
Ben nodded knowingly. “Mmhm, and I was the worst offender. “Definitely class clown. And somehow that hasn’t changed, only now I’m in _front_ of the room."

The other teachers laughed lightly. Rey bit her lip. Being in such close proximity to him was affecting her, and she needed to get away. 

“I really should go,” she said, rising to her feet. Somehow, her knees felt weak and one of her heels slid back, causing her to fall right into Ben’s lap. Rey looked up at him, mortified, and he just gave her one of those panty-incinerating smirks. One of his large hands was splayed across her middle, and it seemed the heat from it would burn into her skin.

“You okay, Rey?” His eyes danced with amusement.

“Yes, I’m _fine,"_ she huffed, struggling to extricate herself from his touch, his smell, his warm voice. 

_Good God, Rey. Pull yourself together._

She managed to regain her composure and stalked out of the cafeteria, mumbling something vague about everyone having a "good day."

Ben watched her go, teetering slightly on her high heels. _Yep….pent up. Definitely pent up._

++

Friday morning came and Ben was feeling much more optimistic. It was some kind of miracle that they'd gotten through the past two days without anyone discovering what was going on in class, and he was grateful He even figured out the perfect excuse if Rey or anyone else asked what all the instruments were doing in his room. 

The band was slowly making progress. Everyone had a role of some kind at this point. But they still needed a name for the band, and he needed to see about arranging a field trip so they could actually get to the audition. He would need to pay a visit to his favorite principal. 

Come to think of it, he hadn't run into her at all yesterday, or anytime this morning. He hadn't laid eyes on her since lunch on Wednesday, after the little _incident_ when she fell and ended up in his lap. 

He certainly hadn't _minded_ that. Nope, not one bit. 

It was lunchtime and the students were already in the cafeteria when Ben strolled down to the hall and knocked on Rey's door. He heard a soft _Come in_ and pushed it open. 

"Oh...Ben," she said quietly.

"Do you have a minute?"

"Uh, sure," she said, gesturing to the chair across from her. "Have a seat."

But Ben being Ben, he ignored the chair, choosing instead to perch his large body on the edge of her desk. He watched her eyes widen in surprise, but she didn't say anything.

"I was wondering if it would be okay to take the kids on a little field trip next week? They would have a chance to hear some live music," he said. "What do you think about that?"

"Well, generally substitutes don't arrange field trips, Ben," she explained patiently. "Plus there isn't enough time to notify the parents, get permission slips..." she shook her head. "Sorry, but no."

He raised his eyebrows. "Really? Is there _any_ way we could do it?" His big brown puppy eyes were pleading, and he pushed out his lower lip. "Can't we maybe make an _exception?"_

He was absolutely, positively _incorrigible._

"I'm sorry, Ben. It's against school policy."

"Oh. I see," he huffed, defeat etched on his face. "Well....I tried."

She nodded absently. "Is that all?'"

"Yeah," he said. "Are you okay? You look a little...down."

Rey gave him a forced little smile. "I'm fine, Ben. I just have some things on my mind."

"Oh? Well, I'm a good listener, if you want to talk about it.....?" 

"That's nice of you to offer, but I don't think so."

There was a long pause as they studied each other.

"Listen, Rey. Next time you want to sit in my lap, all you have to do is ask," he teased.

She rolled her eyes. "You know what? You're just...just... _impossible!"_

"Oh, yeah? I thought I was _inappropriate_." There was a smug grin spread across his face. He was enjoying this _way too much._

"That too," she said, tightening her jaw. She would _not_ let him do this. _She would not._

"Maybe, but I think you kind of _like_ me," he grinned. "Just a little."

Rey made a frustrated noise. "Could you please _leave?"_

He shrugged and got to his feet. 

"Sure, Rey. But if you ever decide you want me to come to your office for detention, just let me know." He leaned in a little closer. " I might even let you spank me," he whispered.

Rey grit her teeth. "Mr. S.,...get _OUT!!"_

He stood in the doorway smiling wickedly, eyes dark with hunger. "It's Ben, sweetheart," he said, closing the door behind him.   
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "She's So Cold," Jagger/Richards. Emotional Rescue, The Glimmer Twins. 1980


	4. Lessons in Rocking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone learns something in this chapter. The kids learn what it takes to make a rock band.
> 
> Rey learns she can't deny her attraction to Ben.
> 
> And what does Ben learn?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'You're not hardcore  
> Unless you live hardcore  
> And the legend of the rent was way hardcore."

By the time the bell rang on Friday, signaling the glorious start of the weekend, Ben was quite pleased with himself.

He'd managed to rope the entire class into the Rock Band project, and sworn them all to secrecy. Everyone had been assigned a role. He had the unbelievably talented "Zack Attack" on lead guitar. With the shy but brilliant Lawrence ("Mr. Cool") on keyboards, the steadfast Katie ("Posh Spice") on bass and the truculent Freddie ("Spazzy McGee") on drums, Ben would handle lead vocals and rhythm guitar. He had his backup singers, Alicia, Tomika and Marta; he had his roadies, Frankie, Leonard and Marco. Billy, who Ben called "Fancy Pants," had requested to be the band stylist. Summer, of course, was band manager. He had tasked the remaining girls as groupies, and it was their job to come up with the band name.

Ben planned on finishing his new song, "Legend of the Rent," over the weekend and presenting it to them on Monday. It wouldn't give them a lot of time to practice, but this handful of kids was quite sharp and picked things up superfast. He wasn't overly concerned.  
.  
It was pretty amazing that they had gotten that far. But he'd still have to figure out how to get them to the audition and it was only a week away.

At least for tonight, he could look forward to seeing the look on Hux’s face when he handed over the cash. That smug motherfucker wouldn’t be able to hold it over Ben’s head any longer, and he relished the thought.

Before locking up, Ben made sure that there were no instruments in sight; the bass and keyboards had been pushed into closets, the drum kit out of the way and covered with a tarp. His main guitar, of course, would come home with him.

Ben popped into the main office to pick up his check. The moment Kaydel spotted him, she slipped right back into schoolgirl-with-a-crush mode.   
Ben gave her his sweetest smile. 

“I’m here for my check?” 

  
“Yes, of course, Mr. S,” she sighed, and began sifting through a pile of envelopes on the desk. “Under Kylo Ren, right?” she held it up.

  
“That’s it,” he nodded.

  
Kaydel swished over to hand it to him and flashed her big Bambi eyes. “Yes, the direct deposit should start in two weeks.” 

  
He nodded. “Thanks, Kay. Have a great weekend. And you can call me Ben, everybody does." 

  
“Right. Of course, Ben," she giggled. “Enjoy your weekend,” she sang as he turned and stalked out of the office, chuckling under his breath. 

As he exited, he nearly crashed into Rey who was standing by the front entrance, talking with a student. Her posture was stiff, and she wore her usual scowl. 

The woman was clearly in need of some _depressurizing._

This was his chance. He was in too good a mood not to give it a shot. 

  
“Just the lady I was hoping to see,” he grinned.

  
Rey looked up at him with a sour expression. “Mr. S,” she said coldly. “What did you need?”

  
He bit his lip. "What happened to _Ben_?"

She rolled her eyes.

“Listen," he said softly. "I wanted to apologize. For earlier.”

  
Rey cocked an eyebrow at him. “Oh, for _what_ exactly?” She needed to hear him say it.

  
“For my…ah, inappropriate behavior,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.’

  
Rey stared at him for a long beat as if trying to ascertain if he was being genuine. Finally she gave him a slight nod. “Okay. Just see that it doesn’t happen again.”

  
Ben sighed. “Would it be…wrong of me to ask you to have coffee with me?”

  
Her left eye twitched. “Coffee?”

  
“Yeah. Do you drink coffee? Or tea is fine. I would have suggested beer, since we're coming up on Friday evening, but…..” he shrugged. "Coffee's good. Whatever."

  
Rey paused again. She couldn’t remember the last time any of the teachers had asked her to do _anything_ outside of work, _e_ ven before she’d taken on the interim position. His offer was actually appealing, even if she had the vaguest sense that there might be something more to it. And he really was damn cute. Oh, well. What could it hurt? 

  
“You _really_ want to have coffee with me?” she breathed.

  
He nodded again and gave her a little smile. “I really do. Consider it my way of apologizing.”

  
“Hmm,” she said. “Alright. There’s a coffee shop down the street—”

  
Ben smiled broadly. “Oh, I know just the place. Why don’t you follow me in your car."

  
“Alright.” It wasn’t until that moment that her eyes swept down to notice the guitar case in his hand.

  
“What is— _that?”_

  
Ben raised his eyebrows. “Oh, it’s uh, my guitar,” he said innocently.

  
“Yes, I can see that, but why did you have it in the classroom?”

  
“Oh, well it was in the van, and I don’t really like leaving stuff in there." He scratched his stubble.

"You know, just in case anybody breaks in, or….something.” 

Rey decided to forego the sneaking suspicion that there was something he wasn't telling her. 

"Okay, well I have to finish up a couple things in my office, might take me about twenty minutes. If you don't mind waiting, then--"

"Not at all. I'll wait in the van."

She hesitated for another moment before nodding and heading back inside.

Ben smiled to himself. 

++

They drove to the other side of town, straight to his favorite pub, Resistance Bar. It was a funky little joint with a rock and roll theme that hosted an Open Mic night once a week and occasionally had live music. Ben had played there several times with Poe and the guys, before they kicked him out of the band. Fortunately, it was just going on four, so the place wasn't too packed. 

Ben ushered her in, more comfortable already. Here, he was in his element. Rey, however, felt a little out of place, in her prim little checked skirt and jacket with the kitten heels. 

  
Ben secured a booth for them and signaled the waiter over right away. Rey looked around at the college kids in their flannel and leather, motorcycle boots and long hair. Some of them weren’t much younger than her.

  
Ben’s eyes drifted over to her. He didn’t have a lot of money in his pocket but at least he had the check, so he was damn well going to treat her. 

  
“Do you drink beer, Rey? Or would you prefer something else?”

  
She crinkled her nose. “Mmm, I’m not much for beer..."

He narrowed his eyes a bit as he pondered her. "Hmm..."

"A vodka Cranberry."

  
Ben smirked. “I’ll have an IPA." 

  
As soon as the waiter left, Rey chuckled. “So, I guess you decided against coffee,” she observed.

  
“Hey, it’s Friday evening, time to let your hair down a little.” As the words left his lips, he was picturing that very thing, Rey with her hair released from it’s tight bun, her face flushed....maybe even out of her clothes. _Ok, stop it. That's not happening._

Ben slid his jacket off his shoulders and shoved it in the corner. “Little warm in here, isn’t it?”

  
She shrugged. “I’m okay.”

  
“So, tell me, Rey,” he started, his lips quirking up at the corners. “When was the last time you actually did something like this, had some fun?"

Rey smiled awkwardly down at the table. “It’s been awhile,” she admitted.

“Yeah. I had that feeling.” 

  
Rey’s eyes snapped up to his, her expression darkening.

  
“I didn’t mean—” Ben huffed. “It’s just the impression I get. You know, you're just very..."

She raised her eyebrows. "Very...?"

"Tense," he finished, voice dropping lower. 

Rey clucked her tongue. “Honestly, Ben, you have no idea what it’s like to do what I do. Believe me, I wasn’t always wound this tight. I used to be _fun._ But when you’re the principal of a prep school, you just can't do it. Especially not when you’re twenty-six. It’s hard enough getting people to take me seriously.” She huffed in frustration. 

  
Their drinks arrived, and Ben raised his glass in salute.

  
“Well, here’s to remembering how to have fun.”

  
Rey cracked a small smile and clinked glasses with him.

  
“I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile all week,” he chuckled.

Forty minutes later, they were into their second round, and Rey had loosened up quite a bit. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Her shoulders had relaxed, her cheeks were pink, and she was finally _smiling._ She’d been laughing at his corny jokes, softening up and letting herself enjoy the moment. It all ground to a halt when the subject of Thanksgiving came up. Ben had casually mentioned the holiday, and her whole demeanor shifted suddenly; she was sullen and closed again. Noting the downturn of her expression, his stomach dropped. 

  
“Wha--you don’t like Thanksgiving?” he asked, anxious to bring back that lighthearted Rey whose company he had been enjoying a moment earlier. 

  
“Oh, no….it’s fine,” she said softly, but her tone was sad. “I just don’t have any family, so the holidays are usually a downer for me.”

  
Suddenly Ben felt like he’d been kicked in the stomach. The last thing he had intended was to make her feel bad in any way.

  
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to bring it up and upset you—”

  
“Aww, hey, it’s not your fault,” she smiled. “How would you know?'

It suddenly occurred to him that the two of them might have more in common than he’d imagined at first.

  
“Well, I do have family, and I usually do my best to steer clear of them around the holidays.”

  
“Really? Why?”

  
Ben hummed. “It’s a long story, but things generally go better when we don’t spend a lot of time together.”

  
“Oh,” Rey sighed.

  
“Yeah, so anyway,” Ben blundered on, refusing to acknowledge the ache that loomed behind his words. “I usually hang out with friends on the holidays, if I can. If not, I’m alone. Movies are a good escape.” He swallowed heavily and gauged her reaction. “But hey, if you need someone to hang out with on turkey day, give me a call.”

  
Her eyes widened and she settled back in her seat, nonplussed. A moment later, she lifted her glass to her lips, only to find it empty.

  
“Hmm, I think we need refills,” he said, waving for the waiter.

"I really shouldn't."

  
When she looked up, Rey was surprised to see that their waiter had been replaced by a waitress—apparently, shifts had just changed. She was a pretty, tall redhead and she beamed when she saw Ben.

“Hey, Benny!" she cooed. "Long time no see. Where ya been?"

Rey was shocked to feel just a tiny little ping of jealousy, hitting her somewhere in back of her throat, making it tighten. _Don't._

  
“Callie, how are you?” he smiled warmly. “Everything good?”

  
“Very fine,” she assured him, giving Rey a quick, friendly smile. "Another round here?"

Rey shrugged. 

"Please," Ben smiled. 

  
When Callie had left, Rey’s eyes searched Ben's for clues. She had the sense he could read her reaction and it bothered her just the slightest bit. 

  
“Oh, I come here all the time," he explained. "I used to play here with my old band. And it’s a great place to hang out.”

  
He got to his feet suddenly. “I’m gonna go put on some music, be right back." His eyes twinkled.

Ben scrolled through the jukebox until he found exactly what he was looking for. 

Rey’s eyes grazed the room as she waited for her drink. As Ben walked back slowly to their table, the opening chords of The Pretenders "Brass in Pocket" came over the speakers. He did a goofy little dance as he approached, and Rey found herself grinning.

_Gonna make you_

_make you_

_make you notice_

Rey's eyes were round as Ben sat back down across from her. 

"I _love_ this song," she said, her voice tinged with awe. "Chrissie Hynde is soo amazing."

Ben started singing and Rey joined him. 

_Gonna use my arms, gonna use my legs_

_Gonna use my style, gonna use my sidestep_

_Gonna use my fingers_

_Gonna use my my my imagination_

"You know, I saw The Pretenders years ago when they came to town, what an _amazing_ show," she continued, eyes shining with the memory of her younger, freer self.

"Oh, yeah. Chrissie sounds so much better live than she does on the recording."

"That is so true. So true," she agreed. 

Callie returned with their drinks. 

"This is the last one," Rey swore.

Ben nodded, and toasted her. "To Chrissie," he grinned. 

Rey giggled, voice just a little slurry.

He regarded her carefully; it was clear that the alcohol was catching up to her. 

"Maybe we should get some food?" 

++

Somehow, it was nearly eight o’clock when they finally left the pub. How did the hours slip away like that? Rey didn't know how, she only knew she hadn't felt this good, this free, this _happy,_ in a very long time. 

  
They were standing beside her car, ready to say good night. It wasn’t supposed to be a date, but it sure ended up feeling like one. 

  
His eyes were meltingly soft as he looked into hers. 

“Are you sure you’re uh, okay to drive?” He licked his lips. She could tell he wanted to to kiss her. And _god,_ she wanted him to.

  
“Yeah, I’ll…be okay,” she sighed. 

"If you're sure," he said. "I can always drop you off..."

  
His voice was low and throaty, laced with concern and something else….something darker. 

  
“I had more fun tonight than I have in…..” she let the words hang in the air.

  
“….Me too,” he swallowed hard.

  
 _Kiss me kiss me kiss me, please,_ she thought. 

“I guess, I’ll uh….see you—”

  
Rey silenced him with her lips, surprising both of them as her head tilted up to meet him. It took Ben all of three seconds to relax into it and give it back to her, sharing his desire, his loss, his loneliness with her, the things he now knew that she shared with him, burning it all away in the heat of one blistering, wild kiss. His hands roamed her body, greedy, unthinking, just needing to feel. There was no going back now-- she knew and he knew she _wanted him,_ had wanted him since that first day she saw him standing across from her in the office. At that moment, she didn't even care about her job--all that mattered was tasting him, the feel of his huge, hungry hands caressing her, that plush, gorgeous mouth feeding on her like she was his last meal. 

Then he pulled back. 

"Are we sure we want to do this?" he whispered, hating the words in his mouth--the _question._ He knew _he_ wanted to; he couldn't remember wanting something so much. 

There was a long moment of silence, of indecision. 

"You're right." She shook her head. "I can't."

_Fuck._

_"_ Rey."

"If you didn't work there," she sighed. "I'm your _boss,_ Ben."

The words were on the tip of his tongue _. I'm not a teacher, not really. This is all a hoax. Please come home with me. I want to keep kissing you, want to touch you, hold you, be inside of you._

But he just couldn't. 

"Ya," he managed, but just barely. "I know."

Rey nodded, pulling back into herself. "Thank you, Ben. It was lovely."

He stood there immobile, watching as she drove away.

Damnit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Brass in Pocket," Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman Scott. The Pretenders, Sony Music, 1979.


	5. You're Not Hardcore (Unless You Live Hardcore)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?  
> Why can't I speak whenever i talk about you?  
> It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it  
> So tell me
> 
> Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to @AliReads2much for betai-ing this chapter, and for just being her all around beautiful self!!

Ben kicked himself all the way home. Why did he have to open his _big mouth?_ If he hadn’t said anything, Rey might have ended up in his bed tonight. _She_ had kissed _him_ , after all. He sure as hell didn’t expect it, any of it, when he asked her out for a drink. Sure, it was something he thought about, but he never thought it would actually _happen._ Until tonight. And then of course, he went and screwed it all up.

He let out a frustrated sigh, raking a hand coarsely through his hair. There were plenty of reasons for him not to sleep with Rey. He could tell she was the type to feel guilty about it afterwards, feel like she crossed a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Then there was the fact that she’d gotten tipsy and might never had kissed him if she was fully sober. The last thing he wanted was for her to sleep with him and then regret it.

During their little _date_ , he had figured out that not only was she adorable, but he was starting to really like her. That threw a bit of a monkey wrench into the works. When he embarked on this little ill-advised caper, for purely selfish reasons, he had no expectation that he’d actually develop a crush on the school principal.

She was sweet and funny, when she finally let her guard down. Seeing how she struggled with trying to maintain the upright image of a prep-school principal had opened his eyes. He really hadn't stopped to think about that before. Aside from her young age and the lingering naivete she tried so hard to hide, she was smart and ambitious. Disciplined. He respected that, and he understood when she said that people didn't take her seriously. He sure as fuck knew what _that_ was like. 

  
He’d been so tempted to tell her the truth--who he really was--but that would have only made things worse. He’d lose his job and his paycheck right away, not to mention his chance to play in Battle of the Bands with his impromptu rock band. If they won, he’d be able to get out of hock and have enough to get by while he got a new band together. 

Well, that was the plan, anyway. He didn't even want to think of what would happen if they _didn't_ win. 

And Rey...once she found out, she'd hate him. His chance of having anything real with her was crushed from the beginning. 

_Brilliant, Solo. This is another fine mess you've gotten yourself into._

He didn't want to think about it anymore. It was too late--the damage was done. 

On his way to bed, Ben muttered to Hux that he'd have some cash for the rent tomorrow. He didn't even feel like gloating at the ginger's surprised look. 

He fell asleep thinking about Rey, her face flushed, eyes dancing as she sung along with him to "Brass in Pocket."

++

Rey woke late Saturday morning with a slight headache. It wasn't a true hangover, just the slight taste of one. Her mind whipped back through the happenings of the previous evening, and for the first time in more than two years, when Poe had broken it off with her, the fact that she was alone in her bed was supremely....

  
disappointing. 

  
He had truly surprised her. Or maybe _she_ had surprised herself, by reacting to him the way she did. She truly had not expected to feel any kind of connection with Ben beyond the obvious. Certainly, he was cute, and rather disarming. But now, she had the sense there was more to it than that.

  
She found herself humming as she poured her first cup of coffee. Her mind was back on the night before, sitting across from Ben while he made her laugh, listening to his band stories and singing along to the Pretenders. Being in his company made her feel freer and more joyful than she had in years.   
It was something that was sorely missing from her life, she knew now. 

Rey hit her amazon music playlist and Liz Phair came right up. She found herself humming and dancing, just a little, moving her hips as she whisked the eggs for her omelet.

_Here we are, we’re at the beginning_   
_We’re already wet and we’re gonna go swimming_   
_Why can’t I breathe, whenever I think about you?_   
_When can’t I speak, whenever I talk about you?_

Rey smiled to herself, nearly breaking into a full-on laugh when she pictured Ben doing a sexy little dance, arms raised, hips shaking. He had reminded her of all the things she had been missing, the things she hadn’t let herself feel for so long.

  
She wanted more.

  
++

  
Ben spent the weekend plotting and working on his song. He had finished “Legend of the Rent” and thought it might be good for the band, but he wasn’t sure. Feeling inspired from the previous night, he started on a new song as well.

  
There was still the issue of how to get the kids to the audition. He realized the only realistic way was to plan to take them at the end of the day. It would be tricky, but he thought he could swing it.

  
And there was still the issue of what they would call themselves. Hopefully, his handful of dedicated “groupies” would come up with something. 

He wouldn’t let himself think about her. He knew it was a dead end, like it or not. Why torture himself?

++

Monday morning, Ben plopped himself on the edge of the desk with his giant coffee mug in hand and glanced around the room expectantly.

  
“Good morning, my little chickadees. I hope you all had a killer weekend, but it’s time to get down to business. Firstly, lunch will be held in here for the foreseeable future, so we can get some prime practice time in. You guys can just bag it. Everybody okay with that?” 

  
There were nods and sounds of assent around the room.

  
“Alright, good. Next, the material. I finished my song this weekend, and it’s ready for a run-through but…..I’m not sure if it’s really right for us. Does anyone have any suggestions for something to play at the battle?”

  
Crickets.

Ben sighed heavily. “I mean, we can do my song, but I’d really be interested in any ideas you guys have…”

  
Zack raised his hand shyly.

  
Ben widened his eyes. “Zack Attack, whatta you got?”

  
“Well, I kind of wrote a song,” he said hesitantly. 

  
_“You…wrote a_ _song_?”

  
He nodded. 

  
Ben raised his eyebrows. “ Well, let’s hear it, Kurt Cobain!” 

  
“I don’t know if it’s any good,” he protested.

  
“Ah ah, too late. Now, you’ve got our attention. Come on up here, dude."

Zack drifted to the front of the room and let Ben slip the Flying V over his head.

“D’you have lyrics, too?" Ben asked, incredulous.

The kid held out a small piece of folded paper out to Ben and he looked them over. His eyes trailed down the page and a little smile tugged at Ben’s lips. 

  
“Go on,” he encouraged.

  
“I’m not much of a singer,” Zack warned.

  
“Doesn’t matter,” Ben said. “Just play the song.”

  
Zack started strumming the opening chords, his voice soft but steady. 

  
“Baby we were making straight A’s

But we were stuck in the dumb days  
It doesn’t take much to memorize your lies  
I feel like I been hypnotized..”

When he stopped playing, he glanced over at Ben, who had a look of wonder on his face. 

  
“I think we’ve got our song, kids.” 

++

  
During lunch, Rey was in the cafeteria looking everywhere for Ben. Where was he? Come to think of it, none of students were there either. What the hell?

She made her way back upstairs and was stunned to hear music drifting down the hall from the closed room. Rey peered through the window and couldn’t believe what she saw. She tapped on the glass a few times before she got his attention. Ben held up a hand for the kids to stop playing and strode over to the door.

  
“Hi,” he said with a wide-eyed smile, like it was perfectly normal that he would be wearing a guitar. 

  
“Mr….S,” she greeted, noting the group of students at the front of the room, all with instruments of their own. “What…what’s going on in here?”

  
“Oh, this?” he chuckled, with a vague sweeping gesture. “This is just a….a little project we’re working on. See, Zack here wrote a song and since so many of the kids play instruments or sing, we thought it would be fun to try it out.”

  
Rey cocked an eyebrow at him, unconvinced. “Try it out?

  
“Yeah, since it’s their lunchtime, they all voted to have their lunch in the room so we could learn his song.” He looked adoringly at his impromptu band. “Isn’t that _amazing?_ They’re so dedicated,” he sighed. 

  
Rey’s eyes scanned the young faces in her wake and saw nothing to make her doubt Ben’s little speech. 

  
“Yes,” she said after a few moments. “Yes, it is amazing.” She flashed an awkward little smile at the kids. “Well, seeing as it’s during lunch, I have no problem. I think it’s great. Maybe you’ll invite me to hear it when you guys are ready.”

  
“Oh, of course,” Ben assured her. “We just need to work out the _kinks_....for lack of a better word." 

  
“I see. Well, then carry on. And oh, please be sure to drop by my office at the end of the day," she said. 

  
Ben’s eyebrows slid up. “Oh, of course, Principal Mullens. I’ll come by.”

“Good. Carry on, kids.” 

“Mr. S, I think you’re in trouble,” Summer tisked.

  
He shrugged and gave her an innocent smile. “Yeah, it looks that way, doesn’t it? Hope she isn’t too rough on me.”

++

After the last bell, Ben made his way slowly down the hall to Rey’s office. He was fully expecting a little talk from her about how Friday night was a mistake and that they couldn’t let it happen again. He had already resigned himself to the idea.

  
Better not to rock the boat anymore than it had already been rocked. 

  
The door was half open, as was her policy. He stood in the doorway and knocked gently. His breath caught when she appeared in his view. 

  
_She’s so pretty_ , he thought. 

  
She looked up and smiled. “Hi Ben,” she said softly. “Come in and close the door.”

  
Ben bit his lip as he shut the door behind him. He turned and was bit surprised by her demeanor—she was leaning back in her chair in a relaxed posture, and she was wearing black rimmed glasses. Her hair was down, and that was new. He’d never seen the glasses on her before, but the effect was not unwelcome—he thought she looked like a sexy librarian. 

  
“Is everybody gone?” she asked.

  
He nodded. “It’s just us now.”

  
“Good." Her voice seemed huskie than usual.

  
“I uh, never knew you wore glasses,” he breathed, suddenly awkward. "They look nice."

  
“Thank you. Take a seat, Benjamin.” Her voice was low and sultry, so unlike the Principal Mullens who usually sat behind that desk.

  
He swallowed heavily and sank down into the chair directly opposite. “I—I know what you’re gonna say,” he started. 

  
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “No, I don’t think you do,” she corrected. 

  
Ben swallowed. “Okay…?”

  
“Mmhm.” As he watched, one of her delicate hands moved to her throat, where her thumb stroked absently at the hollow. Ben watched, mesmerized. “It seems you’ve started something, Ben. You’ve …. _awakened_ something in me." 

  
He widened his eyes. _“Something?”_

  
“Something in me that I haven’t felt in a very long time.” Her voice was low and husky as she unbuttoned the top of her blouse and slipped a hand inside. 

  
Ben’s slacks were starting to feel very tight. His mouth went dry as he realized what was happening. As he watched, Rey’s fingers traced the outline of her nipple through her bra and she let out a small gasp. 

  
_Holy shit._

  
Ben edged back further in the chair, pushing into the material. He couldn’t speak, only stared with his mouth hanging open.

  
Rey smirked. She stood and moved around the desk, stopping right in front of him.

  
It wasn’t until then that he got a good look at her outfit—he hadn’t really noticed when she had come by his room earlier. The cream blouse was paired with a flared, checked skirt and a pair of brown leather boots, the kind that go over the knee. They made her legs look even longer, and it wasn’t until now that he realized she wasn’t wearing stockings or tights. 

Fuck....she looked _hot._

  
Rey perched seductively on the edge of the desk and spread her legs just a little, not enough for him to see under the skirt but just enough make him wonder what was under it. He choked back a moan.

  
“So I was thinking,” she continued in the same cavalier tone, “that since you’re not a permanent employee here, and….well, we’re both adults, maybe we could uh…..break the rules this one time.”

  
Ben let out a small huff of laughter that did nothing to shield his growing ardor. “Ms. Mullens, you’re trying to seduce me,” he chuckled. 

  
She removed her glasses and set them on the desk. “Very good, Benjamin,” she cooed. “Is it working?” 

  
Ben’s big head surrendered control to the little head in that instant. He slid forward in the chair, their faces inches apart now. He planted his hands on her knees and she felt his body heat radiating through her. 

  
“What do _you_ think?” he breathed. Leaning forward, he caught her lips with his, one hand moving up to cup her face as she melted into it. It was a slow, delicious kiss that scorched her from the inside out. 

  
“Is this what you want?” he whispered.

  
“I do,” she said.

"Good," he smiled. 

He sat back to properly take her in. She opened her legs further for him and he tugged the hem of her skirt up—higher, higher until it bunched around her waist, revealing her pink, glistening center. 

  
Ben stared for a few moments, mouth agape, and let out a shaky breath. 

"No panties?" He grinned. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" 

His eyes moved back to meet hers as he smoothed his hand up her thigh, coming to rest on her mound. As he began his gentle exploration of her slick folds, his thumb brushed her clit and she shivered. Rey let out a long moan and Ben swore under his breath. 

  
“Good thing there’s nobody else on the floor,” he breathed. "You’re a loud one, aren’t you? Operatic, I’ll bet.” 

  
Rey hummed, her lashes fluttering shut as he continued to work her with his fingers. He slid one inside her, all the way up to the knuckle and she opened her eyes. 

"Oh, _Ben."_

“I've been wondering how you would feel inside..."

  
She laughed softly. “If you behave, maybe you’ll get to find out.”

  
Ben flashed her a devious smile before lowering his head between her legs. He started with slow licks up the center, reveling in the taste of her. 

  
“What a sweet little pussy you have, Principal Mullens,” he murmured against her skin. “So delicious.”

  
She threw her legs around his neck then, lying back on the desk as pens and papers flew off. She didn’t care, the only thing she cared about at that moment was how good Ben’s mouth felt on her pussy. When he sucked her clit into his mouth, she let out an unearthly wail—the release of years’ worth of pent up tension. Ben pressed one of his big palms down on her belly to still her squirming as he sucked and licked into her, two fingers probing now. 

  
She looked so hot this way, he was afraid he might come in his pants. 

  
“Ben, I’m…I’m going to… _.ahh..."_

  
And then she was flying as her orgasm ripped through her, bowing her back and making her legs shake. 

  
But he didn’t stop. He licked her through it and kept going, until she felt the second one rising and cresting. It knocked her breathless for a moment, she couldn’t get the words out. No one had ever made her come two times in a row this way. It was overwhelming. 

“Please, no _more,_ ” she panted. 

  
She saw his dark eyes flicker to her and he drew back his head and smiled triumphantly.

  
Rey sighed. “That was…..I….”

  
Ben moved in to kiss her, letting Rey taste herself on him. 

  
“I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile, Ms. Mullens.”

  
She rolled her eyes but she was smiling, completely blissed out. “Will you _please_ stop calling me that.”

  
He chuckled. “I thought you’d _like_ it."

  
"I like _you_." She paused, reaching over to palm him through his jeans and he groaned. " So, are we.... are we taking this to the next level?"

Ben hesitated. “If you want me to come over to your place, sure. I have roommates.”

  
She raised her eyebrows. _“Roommates?”_

  
“Yeah…don’t ask.” He shook his head and flashed her a comical little grimace.

  
“You’re coming home with me,” she nodded. 

"Well, if you insist." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Why Can't I?" Christy, Edwards, Phair, Spock. Liz Phair, Capitol Records, 2003
> 
> "Teacher's Pet,"

**Author's Note:**

> "In the Ancient Times", The School of Rock. Dir. Richard Linklater, Prod. Scott Rudin Productions 2003.


End file.
